Driving mechanism for automobiles.



11. P; STEWART. I DRIVING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1905.

905,244. v Patented Dec. -1, 1908.

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.- Be it known that I, RICHARD F. S'IiEWAR'r,

' of the United States, residing a Pocantico Hills,- in the county of West'c'he's ter' and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements n Driving- Mechanism for. Automobiles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present device relates to automatic clutch devices for coupling a driving and .a driven part, and is intended for use particularly in automobile driving mechanism,with

which type of machine-the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying draw-- ings, and it is in connection with automobile driving mechanism that I shall hereinafter describe the invention, although it will be understood that the clutch is adaptable to machines of any type in which it is desirable to have an automatic clutching mechanism between a driving and a driven part.

The object of the invention is to provide a clutch device which. will permit independ ent movement of the drivingand the driven parts relative ,to each other, so that should the speeds of the driven and driving parts vary, the clutch mechanism will be automatically released to permit independentmovement ofthe parts relative to each other,,so

that they will run free until their speeds are again synchronous, whereupon the clutch device will automatically pick up, and agam couple the driving and driven parts together.

This automatically operating clutch device,

which provides for independent movement of the driving and driven parts, is of peculiar value in connection with automobile driving mechanism, for the reason that the wheels of an automobile in taking curves, traverse arcs of different radii, and it is necessary to make provision for this difierence in travel between the'two wheels-of .thecar to prevent skidding or sliding 10f one of the wheels; and this'is usually done by means of a divided driving axle and a difi'erential gear,

' or an axle having independent differential Specification of Letters Patent. Application-fled sepmmba 9,1905. s em No. 277,781.

Patented Dec. 1, mos.

entialge aring connections between the drivmg. part (axle) and driven parts (wheels) of an automobile may be dispensed with,

anda continuous driving: axle maybe used, which axle, by means of my automatic clutch device, will automatically couple; and

uncouple with the driving wheelsin which-w ever direction the axle may be'rotating, so that difi'erences in travel of the two wheels of the automobile are compensated for automaticall'y through the clutch; which will now be described in detail, reference being u had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View;

of the driving axle, wheels, sprocket, and I gear box of an automobile, showing my clutch devices applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of 'a portion of one of the wheel hubs to show the clutch memhere, the clutch housing in which they are mounted, and the drivingconnections. Fig. 3 is an edge View of the shiftable connecting clutch member. Fig. 4:: is a sectional view of the shiftable clutch member to-show the cam groove by means of which. the said clutch member is automatically thrown from one connecting position to another. Fig. 5

is a sectional view on line 5--5, Fig. 4'.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a portion of the driving axle to show the projection thereon for engaging the cam groove of the shiftable clutch member.

Referring to the drawings by numerals,

like numbers indicating like parts in the,

several views, 2 denotes the driving axle of an automobile, provided with the usual sprocket 3 or any suitable drive gear", and 4 indicates the customary gear box and axle sleevefor inclosing the axle and sprocket.

The driving wheels 6 (at each end of the axle) may be of any desired type, and'the inner hub member '7 of each of these driv-f ing' wheels 6 has a box or housing 8 thereon,

which .is preferably formed integral with with radially disposedratchets 9, and the cover plate 10.for the clutch box or housing 8 is provided on its inner face with a simi lar set of radially disposed ratchets 11, these ratchets 11, however, being reversely ar ranged relative tothe ratchets 9 on the op I said hub member 7 as shown. This box or 7 housing 8 forms a closed dust and water posite all of the housing 8. The said cover plate 10 may be secured in any suitable manner to the clutch device or housing 8, as by means. of bolts 12 (see Figs. 1 and 2). lVithin this ratchetfaced clutchhousing 8 is mounted the double-faced shiftable clutch-member, which is made up of the hub 1-3 and the webll, said web 1+1, having on its opposite sides, oppositely arranged or .reversely placed ratchet teeth 15, as cleai'ly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The said shifting clutch member is'movablelongitudinally for a predetermined distance on the driving axle within the limits of the clutch box or housing 8, and the ratchet teeth of the shifting clutch member and the ratchet-teeth of the walls ofthe clutch box or housing 8, are so arranged as to engage, one with the other, when the shifting clutch member is in one or the other of its two extreme positions, so that a positive driving connection through the clutch members is secured between the axle 2 and the driving wheels 6, wheneverthc shiftable clutch-member is in either of its extreme positions.

The hub 13 of the shifting clutch member is provided interiorly witha cam-groove 16, which cam-groove 16 preferably extends half way round the circumference of the hub bore, and has at each end abutments 17, and channels 18 running longitudinally from the cam-groove 16- to the ends of the hub 13 for convenience in assembling the shiftable clutch member upon the driving axle 2. The said driving axle is provided with a radial lug or projection 19,which,

when the shiftable clutch member is in po sition, engages the cam groove 16, so that any difference in speeds of rotation betweei. the drivingaxle 2 and the shiftable clutch member will have the effect of moving the shiftable clutch member longitudinally of the axle 2, in one direction or the other, according to the direction of rotation of the driving axle 2.

It will be obvious that if the speed of the driven part (wheel 6) should exceed that of the. driving part (axle 2), as would be the case with theoutside wheel of an automobile in taking a curve, the shiftable clutch-member will, by reason of the cam groove 16 and the axle lug 19, be shifted longitudinally on the .axle 2, disengaging the ratchet-teeth on the shiftable clutch member from which ever set' of opposed ratchet-teeth in the clutch-box or housing 8 it may be in mesh, thus permitting the wheel 6 to run free and independent of the axle 2. lVhen the speed of the axle 2 and the wheel (5 are again synchronous, the lug 19,

acting on the cam groove 16, will move the shiftihg clutch member lengthwise a predetermined distance and force it into engagementagain with one of the opposed ratchet-faced walls of the housing 8, the lug 19 will take its bearing against one or the other of the abutments 17 at either end of the cam groove 16, and the parts be positivcly coupled in driving position. It is obvious that this action will take place whether the machine be running forward or backward, so that variations in speed be tween the driven and driving parts will be quickly and automatically taken care of.

It will be seen that the driving axle 2 has a positive driving connection with the shift.- able clutch member through the lug 19, which bears against one or the other of the end abutments 17 of the cam groove 1o, according to the direction of rotation of the axle 2, and yet one which cannot. become jammed or set by reason of frictional engagement; for the lug 1t) is free to leave its driving abutment without any effort, as is the case with frictionally engaged parts and permit independent rotary movement of the parts and longitudinal movement of the shiftable clutch-member. whenever variation in speeds occurs. l-"urthermore the shiftable clutch member, by reason of its ratchetengagement, has a positive but readily disengageable driving connection with the wheel in either direction, so that the driving part or axle will pick up the driven part or wheel (3 positively and instantly, without any lost'motion or slip, and at the same time will permit instantaneous uncoupling of the parts and longitudinal movement of the shiftable clutch member when the need arises without the delay incident to jammed or frietionally engaged parts.

It will be seen that since the shiftable clutch-member positively engages the opposed clutch-members in making its driving connection and does not depend on frictionally engaged surfaces for its driving action, it, as also the opposed clutch members, may be made small and light so as to permit of compact assembling and an unobtrusive structure. Furthermore, by reason of the quick and positive shift of the shiftable clutch-men'iber attainable through the canigroove and axle lug connection, it is unnecessary to depend on the inertia or frictional retardation of the. parts to secure such shift, but. this accomplished with absolute positiveness and certainty.

The embodiment of the invention herein illustrated and described is merely one physical expression of my invention and solely for illustrative purposes in order that the invention may be clear to those skilled in the art to which it belongs, and though it is the best embodiment now known to me, since it is obvious that the invention may he cxpressed in different mechanical constructions, I do not wish to be understood as liniiting myself to anything herein shown and described except so far as I am limited by the prior art to which this invention relates.

predetermined distance into either of two serving to,positively lock said driving and different positions, and when in either position serving to positively lock said driving and driven parts together, means for automatically shifting said connecting element from one position to the other, and square shouldered interlocking formations connecting said driving part and shiftable element.

2. Driving mechanism comprising in combination a rotary driving part, a 'part tobe driven, a connecting element shiftable'a predetermined distance into either of two different positions, and when in either position driven parts together, a cam formation on said connecting element for shifting the-same from one position to the other, and squareshouldered, interlocking formations connecting said driving part and shiftable element.

3. Driving mechanism comprisin in combination, a rotary shaft, a wheel to ie driven, a connecting element shiftable lengthwise said shaft a predetermined distance, and when at either limit ,of its movement serving to positively lock said shaft and wheel together, a cam formation for shifting said element automatically, and square-shouldered. interlocking formations connecting said shaft and shiftable element.

4. Automobile driving mechanism comprising, in combination, a driving axle; a

wheel to be driven; aclutch-housin on said wheel; opposed, reversely-ratchete clutchmembers in said housing; a shiftable reversely ratchetedclutch member in said housing between said opposed clutchfmembers; and square shouldered interlocking formations carried by said axle and shiftable clutch member, and serving both to shift the latter a predetermined distance into positive engagement with either of said opposed clutch members, and, when so shifted, to form a positive driving connection between said shiftable member and axle.

5. Automobile driving mechanism com prisinga driving axle, a wheel to be driven, a connecting element shiftable a, predetermined. distance lengthwise said axle, and

when in either of its two extreme positions serving to positively lock said wheel; and

axle together, a 'square faced 111g carried by said axle, a cam groove formed in said con-- necting element and cooperatingwith said lug to shift said element from one position to the other, and a square-shouldered abutment also carried by said element and; coop crating with said lug to form a positive conart to nection by means of which said shiftable element'is driven by said axle.

6. Automobile driving mechanism. comprising, in combination, a driving axle; a

wheel mounted on saidaxle; opposed, re-

versely ratcheted clutch members on said wheel; a double faced, reversely ratcheted clutch member mounted on said axle between said opposed clutch-members and provided with a cam-groove; a projection on said axle engaging the cam-groove in said clutch-memwheel mounted on said axle; a hollow hub or. clutch-housing on said wheel; opposed, re-

versely-ratcheted' clutch --members in said housing; a double-faced, reversely-ratcheted clutch-member having a circumferential cam-groove on its hub-interior mounted on said axle within said housing; a lug on said axle to engage saidcam-groove and move said clutch-member a predetermined distance into engagement with one or the other of the direction of'rotation of the axle; and longitudinal channels at the ends of said cam-groove to permit assembling of the clutch-memberpn the axle and provide dI'iV-r ing abutments at the ends of the groove against which the said axle-projection bears when driving position.

8. Automobile driving mechanism com? prising, in combination, a driving axle; a

said opposed clutch-members, according to wheel mounted on-said axle; an inner hollow hub-member on said wheel having a ratcheted clutch-face at its bottom; a cover for said hub-member having a reversely ratcheted inner face; a shiftable clutch member having reversely-ratcheted faces mounted on said axle within said hollow hub and provided interiorly of its hub with a cam-groove; a radial lug on said axle engaging said cam groove to shift said clutch member a predetermined distance ineither direction; and abutments at the ends of said cam-groove against which said lug rests when the parts are in driving condition.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD F. STEWART. 

